Yogi Adityanath- A Prominent Face in BJP’s Campaign

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Aditya Nath has become the most ‘in-demand’ campaigner for BJP. His status as chief priest of the “North Panth” temple in Gorakhpur has indeed uplifted his imager further.

Yogi’s stewardship of the shrine associated with the medieval saint Gorakhnath along with his profile as CM of UP saw him campaign in the recent Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh elections. He was also a prominent face in BJP’s campaign against “red terror” in Kerala. He now seems set to play quite a big role in the ensuing state polls in the north east as well as in Karnataka thereafter.

During his two-day visit to pollbound Tripura, UP Chief Minister is looking to tilt a significant number of Nath sect followers towards BJP and help its prospects against the incumbent Manik Sarkar government. It is a formidable foe in its bastion and remains the front-runner in the election.

Aditya Nath has also visited Karnataka, another poll-bound state, where he has wielded influence in “Maths” associated with the Nath tradition such as the Jogi Math in Mangaluru.

“Tripura has a population of Nath sect followers, who are mostly OBC,” Nikhil Devnath, the chief priest at Gorakshnath Temple in Agartala said.

“There is no quota for the OBC community in the state as the state government has 48% for the SC/ST. We expect that our priest will take the matter to the relevant people,” he further added.

BJP had been promoting photographs of Aditya Nath and Nirmalananda Nath with a message: “Yogi Aditya Nath on Saturday night stayed in Bengaluru, not at any five-star hotel but at the Adichunchunagiri Mutt, which belongs to the Nath sect.” The message was apparently to woo the electorate projecting Aditya Nath as an austere saint.

Yogi will play a significant role in BJP campaigns for upcoming elections.